Publisher Vertical Comics recently released the first volume of Chihiro Ishizuka’s 2013 series “Flying Witch” for English readers to enjoy. The story followed high schooler Makoto Kowata as she discovers how to become a full fledged witch and her own being.

Magic is nothing out of the ordinary for Makoto.  However for her second cousins Kei and Chinatsu, it is something they now have to get used. It is a custom passed down through the generations that a witch reaches adulthood by the age of 15 and no longer needs to stay with their parents. Under her family’s suggestion, Makoto decides to stay with her relatives in the countryside of Aomori and finish her schooling before living independently. While Kei and his parents are accustomed to some of the witch’s practices and strange habits, young Chinatsu has a lot to learn about her older cousin and the hidden magical community.

Ishizuka’s manga has portions reminiscent of Studio Ghibli’s “Kiki’s Delivery Service” specifically Makoto’s black cat familiar Chito. The clean illustrations look close to several school life anime from Kyoto Animation (KyoAni) like “K-On!” or “Hyouka” but at times shift to hilarious deadpan expression like those in Keiichi Arawi’s “Nichijou.” It seems that some of the main characters are foils to each other and the contrasting trait stick out in some of the supernatural situations. While Ishizuka packs each chapter with comedy, the series is definitely for readers who are looking for something with a lighter flow of narration.

“Flying Witch” Volume Two will be available during the summer season, but interested fans can head over to Crunchyroll to watch the Spring 2016 anime adaptation. While it is only 12 episodes long, the manga is still ongoing in Japan. For more information and an online preview, visit Vertical Comics’ site.